Coached by AHL staff, Rangers erupt for 7-goal second period

The New York Rangers' coaching staff was temporarily replaced by its AHL affiliate mere hours before puck drop Wednesday and it paid unexpected dividends.

Rangers head coach David Quinn, along with assistants Jacques Martin, David Oliver and Greg Brown were all ruled out due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch subbed in as the bench boss, while Wolf Pack associate Gord Murphy and Rangers AGM Chris Drury filled in as assistants.

Knoblauch, who had never coached at the NHL level, evidently knows a thing or two as the Rangers erupted for a seven-goal second period in a 9-0 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Per @PR_NHL, Mika Zibanejad was the first #NYR player in franchise history who recorded a natural hat trick with one even strength goal, one power play goal, and one shorthanded goal in a single period.

— NYR Stats & Info (@NYRStatsInfo) March 18, 2021

After taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, Pavel Buchnevich opened the floodgates with two consecutive goals, Jacob Trouba added another before Mika Zibanejad notched a natural hat-trick during the frenzied stanza, to go along with three assists, then Filip Chytil ended the bonanza with 21 seconds remaining in the frame.

Mika Zibanejad is the second player in NHL history who has recorded six points in one period of a game (along with Bryan Trottier). #NYR

— NYR Stats & Info (@NYRStatsInfo) March 18, 2021

It's not exactly a record – the 1980-81 Buffalo Sabres once scored nine goals in a period, which must feel demoralizing to the current iteration – but it is the most goals any team has scored during one period in seven years! Not bad for a makeshift coaching staff who only officially got the call in the mid-afternoon.

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